Textile drawing mechanism



NOV. 20, 1945. R D TARR 2,389,581

TEXTILE DAWING' MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR// MU@ 2, /M/V.

/ J ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 20, 1945 TEXTILE DRAWING MECHANISM Roderic D. Tarr, Biddeford, Maine, assigner to Saco-Lowell Shops, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application November 22, 1,941, Serial No. 420,069 s Claims. (C1. isi-13o) In an earlier Patent No. 2,252,531, I have disclosed lower drafting rolls for the drawing mechanisms of spinning, roving and oth'er long frame textile machines made in sections connected together end to end at the bearings or roll stands, Such a construction has'important manufacturing and operating advantages, and the present in- 'required for each pair of adjoining end portions of the roll sections.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of portions of a set of lower drawing rolls adapted for use in a spinning frame, some parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectional view on a larger scale of the joints and bearing constructions for portions of two adjacent bottom rolls;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. v2 showing an arrangement which may be used to advantage when the roll spacing is exceptionally small, as in a roving frame;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4 4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a single roll end and the cooperating sleeve and bearing therefor;

and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing a modification.

Referring first to Fig. 1, lower front, middle and rear rolls of a drawing mechanism are shown at 2, 3 and 4, respectively. These rolls extend the entire length of the frame but they are composed of sections, each of convenient length to manufacture, these sections being connected together in end to end relationship by joints or couplings supported in the roll stands 5. In Fig, 1l portions only of three sectionsof each roll are illustrated, it being understood that the other sections of the rolls are similarly connected and supported. While the rolls may be of any suitable character, those shown have the usual uted drafting areas separated by intervening smooth surfaces.

Assuming that Fig. 2 shows. front and intermediate rolls like those illustrated in Fig. 1 but merely spaced somewhat closer, it will be seen that the adjoining end portions of two sections of the roll 3 are telescoped within a sleeve 6. As shown on a larger scale in Fig. 5, the sleeve 6 is provided with a series of internal grooves 6' extending longitudinally thereof, and the end portion of the roll section 3 has radially extending ribs or tongues l adapted to slide freely into the grooves 6. Shoulders 8, formed atthe junction of reduced portions of the tongues with those of larger diameter, engage th'e ends of the sleeve and limit the movement of the roll ends toward each other. It will thus be seen that the sleeve has a keyed orsplined connection with each of the roll ends joined by it so that it transmits torque from either section to the other and in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction of rotation.

The same joint construction is used throughout the frame in connecting together the adjacent end portions of adjoining roll sections.

The sleeves 6 are mounted to revolve in suitable roll stands or other bearing structures. For this 'l purpose each sleeve may be used as a, journal revolving in a suitable bearing box supported in one of the sockets of a roll stand. Preferably, however, some type of anti-friction bearing is used to support the sleeves, and these members themselves may form the inner races of the respective bearings or, if more convenient for manufacturing reasons, a standard ball bearing unit may be mounted on the sleeve with a pressed t, or in any other suitable manner. As shown in the upper part of Fig. 2, the sleeve 6 is grooved circumferentially to receive a series of balls l0 running in a siimlar groove formed in an outer race |2,pressed or otherwise suitably positioned in the bearing socket in the roll stand 5. Consequently, the balls support the sleeve radially and also against axial displacement. Preferably the plane of the series of balls coincides approxi# mately with the plane of the meeting ends of the roll sections.v Also, suitable oil seals, such as those shown at I4, may be inserted in the opposite ends of the bearing socket to minimize the leakage of lubricant out of the bearings around the rolls. Or, these annular spaces around the rolls may be `closed simply by metal plates, as shown at I 5 in Fig. 2.

It will be evident that with this construction a single bearing only is required to support the adjoining ends of any pair of. adjacent roll sections so that the number of bearings required is only halfrof that necessary with former constructions.

While the roll stands are accurately aligned when a spinning frame, or other machine in which the invention is used, is initially set up, various factors operate to disturb this accurate setting, and one of the advantages of some of the sectional roll constructions previously devised has been that the joints connecting these sections afford sufficient flexibility or freedom of relative movement between end sections to accommodate reasonable departures of one or both of these sections from a true axial alignment. The same advantage is produced in the construction herein shown by providing lateral clearances between the outer surfaces oi' the end portions of the roll and tne inner surfaces of the sleeve 6. Clearances of a few thousandths of an inch between these parts permit sufficient relative angular movement or adjoining sections out of a common axial straight line to accommodate considerable misalignment without disturbing in any way the support of the rolls by the sleeves or the torque transmitting relationship oi the sleeves to the roll ends which they engage.

In a roving frame the spacing of the lower rolls is somewhat closer than in a spinning frame, and such a condition can be accommodated by positioning the bearings in a staggered relationship to each other as shown in Fig. 3. Here, adjoining roll sections are supported exactly as in Fig. 2, but the two joints in a single roll stand are relatively offset in an axial direction by an amount sufnclent to permit a closer spacing. That is, the outer races I2 are offset, out of alignment, by a distance equal to a little more than the axial dimension or width of the race and this fact makes it possible to reduce the roll spacing by an amount which is important when a close roll spacing is desired. The outer races may be pressed into the bearing sockets and abutted against the shoulders I6, these shoulders being so machined as to position the two bearings in the desired staggered relationship to each other. 'I'hese roll stands usually are provided with a removable cap 5', Fig. 4, so that the joints may readily be exposed for greasing or other servicing.

It will be evident from the foregoing that this invention provides an exceptionally simple construction for supporting sectional drawing rolls which aiford economies in manufacture, especially when ball bearings or others of a similar type are used. At the same time the ability to accommodate misalignment of adjoining sections which has been an important advantage of prior art constructions is preserved. A further advantage of this invention is that the joint provided by it is stronger for a given diameter than any of those heretofore used for this purpose, so far as I am aware, because more of the metal through which torque is transmitted is in shear than in the earlier constructions.

If it is preferred to use a plain bearing instead of a ball bearing, as above described, then the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in Fig. 6. Here the sleeve 6" is grooved to receive tongues 1" formed on the adjoining end portions of adjacent roll sections 2", as in the construction l above described, and the sleeve and the end portions of the rolls are mounted in a bearing or the bearing portion of a roll stand, as shown at. I8. In a construction of this nature the portions I9 of the roll sections may be turned down to provide Journal areas running in bearings provided for them at opposite ends of the sleeve, or the sleeve itself may form the journal section and may support the adjacent portions of the rolls entirely out of contact with the member I8. Usually the former arrangement is preferred and the sleeve 6 does not act as a bearing member. In any event, the -parts are so made as to accommodate substantial departures of the rolls from true axial alignment with each other. It will also be observed that each of the journals I9 is located between radially extending shoulders and that the latter cooperate with the opposite end walls of the bearings for the journals to limit end play of the roll sections in both directions. Similarly end play of the sleeve 6" is closely limited by the parts of the bearing at opposite ends of the sleeve.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be evident that the invention is not limited to embodiment in the precise form shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A textile drawing roll comprising two drafting sections positioned end to end, a sleeve into which the opposite adjoining end portions of said sections extend, said sleeve and said end sections having parts overlapped in a common path of rotation whereby the sleeve positively drives one of said sections from the other, a ball bearing supporting said sleeve, said sleeve having a circumferential groove in its outer surface to receive a series of balls located approximately in the plane of the adjoining end faces of said sections, an outer race grooved to receive the same series of balls, and a roll stand in which said outer race ls supported.

2. In a textile drawing mechanism of the character described, the combination of two lower drawing rolls positioned adjacent to and in parallel relationship with each other, each of said rolls comprising a series of drafting sections, roll stands supporting said sections at intervals spaced longitudinally of the rolls, joints flexibly connecting said sections together at said stands in end to end relationship, each of said joints including a rigid sleeve telescoped on and keyed to the adjoining end portions of two adjacent sections and having suillcient lateral clearance with one of said y end portions to flexibly connect them in positive torque transmitting relationship, bearings mounted in said roll stands and supporting said respective sleeves for rotation, the bearings in a single roll stand being staggered relatively to each other in a direction lengthwise of the rolls.

3. A textile drawing roll comprising a. plurality of sections arranged end to end, sleeves connecting the adjacent end portions of said sections, each of said sleeves having parts serving to transmit torque from one of the sections connected thereby to the other, and bearings in which the respective sleeves are mounted, said adjoining end portions of each Pair of sections including journals located at opposite ends of the sleeve connecting said sections and said bearings having bearing areas in which said journals are supported for rotation.

4. In a textile drawing mechanism of the character described, the combination of a drawing roll comprising two drafting sections positioned end to end, a sleeve into which the opposite adjoining end portions of said sections extend, said sleeve and said end sections having parts overlapped in a common path of rotation whereby the sleeve positively drives one 01' said sections from the other, a roll stand in which said sleeve is mounted for rotation, the contacting faces of said sleeve and said end portions being shaped and dimensioned to accommodate limited axial misalienment of one section relatively to the other while maintaining the two sections operatively connected together for rotation in unison, said end portions of the roll sections being splined to the sleeve connecting them and having parts to abut against the ends of the sleeve for limiting the movement of said end portions toward each other.

5. In a textile drawing mechanism of the character described, the combination of a bottom drawing roll comprising a series of drafting roll sections roll stands supporting said sections end to end at intervals spaced lengthwise of the roll sleeves telescoped on and keyed to the adjoining end portions of said roll sections at each stand, said stands having bearing sockets, bearings located in said sockets and rotatably supporting the respective sleeves at points located approximately in planes at right angles to said sleeves at the telescoped endI portions of the roll sections connected thereby, each of said sleeves having limited lateral clearance with at least one of the end portions of the roll sections which it connects, said clearance serving to accommodate minor departures of the sections from true axial alignment v ing connection from one'section to the other, and

said bearings holding said sleeves against substantial endwise movement relatively to the roll stands.

6. In a textile drawing mechanism of the character described, the combination of a lower drawing roll comprising a series of drafting roll sections, roll stands supporting said sections at intervals spaced longitudinally of the rolls, jointsconnecting said sections together at said stands in end to end relationship; each of said joints including a rigid sleeve telescoped on and keyed to the adjoining end portions of two adjacent sections and having suiiicient lateral clearance with one of said end portions to flexibly connect them togethern positive torque transmitting relationship, bearings mounted in said roll stands and rotatably supporting said respective sleeves at points located approximately in planes at right angles to telescoped end portions of the roll sections, and means at opposite ends of said sleeves cooperating with said roll sections and parts of the roll stands to conne bodies of lubricant in contact with said respective bearings.

RODERIC D. TARR.

with each other but maintaining a positive driv- 25 

